Microplastics Contamination in Sediment, Water, Snow/Ice, Fish and Seals of the Canadian Arctic: 2021-2022

Microplastics (MPs) contaminate the oceans from the poles to the equators and from the sea surface to the deep sea. In addition, MPs have been recorded in freshwater systems, including in lakes, rivers and streams globally. Not only an aquatic issue, MPs infiltrate terrestrial ecosystems in landfills, agricultural settings, along beaches, and even in the air. It therefore comes as no surprise that MPs have been identified as a global pollutant of concern that is capable of long-range transport and causing adverse effects in wildlife, but limited information is available for Canadian Arctic regions. Consequently, the NCP has identified assessing the presence and distribution of MPs in Arctic marine ecosystems a priority. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) has also added Marine Plastics and MPs to their list of Chemicals of Emerging Arctic Concern. As part of NCP and ArcticNet, air, water, sediment and zooplankton samples were collected from on board the CCGS Amundsen. Additionally, atmospheric related samples were collect in Alert and communities in NWT, snow samples from NWT, fish from three communities in NWT and seal stomachs from Resolute Bay.